If there was any criticism to be leveled at Charles De Lint’s earlier works set in Newford, it’s that they might have been a little bit too nice. Yes, ancient magic stalked the street and all sorts of mythopoetic beasties made their presence known in his fictional Canadian city, but there was almost never a sense of malevolence or palpable danger to them. Walk the byways of Newford at night and you were more likely to be accosted by a slumming faerie noble than by a strung-out mugger, and while both might have their perils, odds were you’d get a more interesting and happier resolution from the misplaced elf. As miraculous and mysterious a place as Newford might be, in many ways it was free of randomness and sadistic cruelty.
Which brings us to Tacyhon’s edition of Promises to Keep, the 22nd (or so) book in the Newford Cycle and something of a treat for fans, if not necessarily for newcomers. The book is largely concerned with filling in the backstory of one of De Lint’s most beloved characters, the artist Jilly Coppercorn. Interestingly enough, De Lint doesn’t pull any punches here. Jilly’s backstory, from the days before she reinvented herself (with a little help from a few of the other Newford regulars) is a damned dark one, and all of that random cruelty that was missing from other adventures is bottled up in her past. Those who’ve read The Onion Girl will be familiar with what Jilly’s been through – sexual abuse, foster care, addiction, prostitution and homelessness, to hit the lowlights – but here De Lint bundles them up not as the story, but rather the necessary context for what happens next, and he does so without flinching.
The main plot bounces back and forth between two timelines. In the current one, Jilly meets an old friend from her juvie days, who’s now apparently cleaned up and is playing bass in a band she wants Jilly to come see. Curiously enough, the bar that Donna’s band is playing doesn’t seem to exist, at least according to her friends, though to be fair in Newford that’s not exactly unusual. So Jilly goes, and discovers when the show’s over that she’s someplace else – a city where only good things happen, where folks who got screwed out of what they deserved in life get a shot at doing what they always wanted, and where Jilly can work on her art exclusively without having to worry about a job, or a place to stay, or responsibilities – forever.
The rest of the book is a series of flashbacks interwoven with the main narrative, as Jilly fills in her back pages for the reader. The memories take Jilly from juvie hall, to junkie, through her rescue by the Grasso Street Angel and introduction to many of the other key Newford players, on to the very start of her adventure with Donna, and along the way we get to understand a great deal more of the whys and wherefores of Jilly Coppercorn.
The astute reader will notice that “present day”, in this case, is 1972 – that’s when Donna roars out of Jilly’s past and gives her a ticket to someplace else. And, since Jilly shows up in any number of other works set past the early 70s, it seems clear that the resolution to whatever dilemma she’s in is going to be clean and, for lack of a better word, happy. Under normal circumstances, that would drain any tension from the story, but the important thing here isn’t the plot; it’s the character. How Jilly resolves the tension between the gifts offered by this magical city and the life she has just started to create for herself in Newford is what really matters, as is her reaction when she’s given a choice that in a sense might let her have both.
In the end, Promises to Keep is an origin story, the tale of how and why Jilly Coppercorn came to be. It doesn’t unveil any grand mysteries or drive forward any earth-shattering metaplots; instead, it shores up everything the long-time Newford reader already knows and loves, and gives it a stronger foundation. Jilly emerges from Promises to Keep stronger, more sympathetic and believable, and in light of what’s now known about her early days and choices, even more admirable. A first-time reader may enjoy the book as the origin story of an interesting character; a De Lint fan will come away with their experience of the rest of the Newford canon deepened.
(Tachyon Press, 2011)
Very happy to read this great review, which doesn’t give away the story (points for that). It’s one of my personal favourites, so I’m delighted to know it struck a nice chord in the reading room at the old Sleeping Hedgehog.
One minor correction: Newford (were it to exist) is not in Canada, but rather, in the USA. Seems Canadian readers generally think of it as south of the border while Americans often imagine it in Canada.
Cheers! – MaryAnn
While I have always loved Charles de Lint’s work, I do kind of wonder at his recent tendency to focus on Jilly Coppercorn and her past. The only thing I can figure is that Jilly is an extension of the author to some degree. Jilly, until the last few books, has always been an outside observer to all the magical happenings around her. She was a believer, always supporting her friends’ dealings with the strange and magical…but she was the observer, the narrator, the one who witnessed. I don’t know for sure that de Lint identifies with Jilly, though I seem to have a vague recollection of him saying that in some interview or other.
At any rate, it is good to see that de Lint’s work hasn’t fallen off in quality despite the long time he has been writing about the same place and the same people. It is always disappointing to see a well-beloved series start to become wan and pale after the first dozen or so books. Thanks for a great review, Rich!
–Megan W.
I can shed some light on this because Charles is just in the next room.
Charles focused on Jilly in the later books because he was trying to wrap up the Newford “series” and didn’t want to leave readers hanging.
Promises to Keep started out as a short story that he’d been commissioned to write as part of a larger Newford retrospective for Subterranean Press. The short story had to be a Jilly tale and it would’ve been the only new piece in the entire collection.
Charles had agreed to do the retrospective in a weak moment and he later regretted saying yes to it because he felt it was unfair to his readers to have to buy an expensive book to get only one new story. So he asked Subterranean instead to allow him to substitute a short novel for the retrospective, so that his readers would have something more substantial for their money. And that’s how this short novel came to be.
I’ve just asked him whether Jilly is an extension of himself, to which he replied, “No more than any of my characters. There’s a little piece of the writer in every character.”
Thanks for reading my sweetie’s books, Megan. I’m glad the series stood up for you and I hope you’ll try his newer work as well.
Cheers!
MaryAnn
MaryAnn, thank you for the clarification – both on Newford, and on the genesis of the book. I’m glad the review was to your liking. As someone who’s occasionally committed fiction, I always try to avoid giving away too much of the story when doing reviews.